Sonicrusk Blog

A few months ago, I was hanging out with my sister and her boyfriend at their place. My sister is a voracious movie watcher. She views every single movie that comes her way. While I was visiting, they had The Score on TV.

Some say that The Score has the best actors of their respective generations. Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, and Edward Norton have certainly proven themselves to be masterful, if not brilliant performers. But as my sister and I watched this movie, we came to the same conclusion. It was kind of crappy and uninspiring. I thought it flat and bland.

It led to a discussion of a certain type of film: movies full of good actors that suck. I’d say that Armageddon and Pearl Harbor are in this realm. They are both pretty shitty movies. But, as to whether Affleck, Willis, or Hartnett are good actors is highly debatable.

The closest movie to match The Score in its wasted talent is 1999’s Wild Wild West. Kevin Kline, Will Smith, Kenneth Branagh, and Selma Hayek have been magnificent in other films. Both Kline and Branagh, at least, are highly trained and acclaimed. Yet with all of these capable performers – the movie is still awful.

There must be even more examples, but those two are the only to come to mind. Any others?

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It was overcast, windy, and rainy all morning. Now, the sun has come out. I hate it when that happens. it throws me off.

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Still no solid plans since my group of friends are so indecisive. Here’s hoping something comes up for me and that you have a great 2006.

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Here is a great movie scene from the movie Glengarry Glen Ross. I just wanted to post it because it is fun to quote. If you watch it, you get a chance to watch a bunch of incredible actors duke it out.

BTW, I found it here, for the appropriate credit.

Glengarry Glen Ross
written by David Mamet

In this scene, Blake (Alec Baldwin) is confronting the employees of a tough Chicago real-estate office, Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), Ed Moss (Ed Harris) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) while their unsympathetic supervisor John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) looks on.

Blake: Let me have your attention for a moment! So you’re talking about what? You’re talking about…(puts out his cigarette)…bitching about that sale you shot, some son of a bitch that doesn’t want to buy, somebody that doesn’t want what you’re selling, some broad you’re trying to screw and so forth. Let’s talk about something important. Are they all here?

Williamson: All but one.

Blake: Well, I’m going anyway. Let’s talk about something important! (to Levene) Put that coffee down!! Coffee’s for closers only. (Levene scoffs) Do you think I’m fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I’m here from downtown. I’m here from Mitch and Murray. And I’m here on a mission of mercy. Your name’s Levene?

Levene: Yeah.
Blake: You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?
Moss: I don’t have to listen to this shit.
Blake: You certainly don’t pal. ‘Cause the good news is — you’re fired. The bad news is you’ve got, all you got, just one week to regain your jobs, starting tonight. Starting with tonights sit. Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. ‘Cause we’re adding a little something to this months sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anyone want to see second prize? Second prize’s a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired. You get the picture? You’re laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them! You can’t close the leads you’re given, you can’t close shit, you ARE shit, hit the bricks pal and beat it ’cause you are going out!!!
Levene: The leads are weak.
Blake: ‘The leads are weak.’ Fucking leads are weak? You’re weak. I’ve been in this business fifteen years.
Moss: What’s your name?
Blake: FUCK YOU, that’s my name!! You know why, Mister? ‘Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar BMW. That’s my name!! (to Levene) And your name is “you’re wanting.” And you can’t play in a man’s game. You can’t close them. (at a near whisper) And you go home and tell your wife your troubles. (to everyone again) Because only one thing counts in this life! Get them to sign on the line which is dotted! You hear me, you fucking faggots?
(Blake flips over a blackboard which has two sets of letters on it: ABC, and AIDA.)
Blake: A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing! Always be closing!! A-I-D-A. Attention, interest, decision, action. Attention — do I have your attention? Interest — are you interested? I know you are because it’s fuck or walk. You close or you hit the bricks! Decision — have you made your decision for Christ?!! And action. A-I-D-A; get out there!! You got the prospects comin’ in; you think they came in to get out of the rain? Guy doesn’t walk on the lot unless he wants to buy. Sitting out there waiting to give you their money! Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? (to Moss) What’s the problem pal? You. Moss.
Moss: You’re such a hero, you’re so rich. Why you coming down here and waste your time on a bunch of bums?
(Blake sits and takes off his gold watch)
Blake: You see this watch? You see this watch?
Moss: Yeah.
Blake: That watch cost more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see, pal, that’s who I am. And you’re nothing. Nice guy? I don’t give a shit. Good father? Fuck you — go home and play with your kids!! (to everyone) You wanna work here? Close!! (to Aaronow) You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can’t take this — how can you take the abuse you get on a sit?! You don’t like it — leave. I can go out there tonight with the materials you got, make myself fifteen thousand dollars! Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can you? Go and do likewise! A-I-D-A!! Get mad! You sons of bitches! Get mad!! You know what it takes to sell real estate?
(He pulls something out of his briefcase)
Blake: It takes brass balls to sell real estate.
(He’s holding two brass balls on string, over the appropriate “area”–he puts them away after a pause)
Blake: Go and do likewise, gents. The money’s out there, you pick it up, it’s yours. You don’t–I have no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those sits tonight and close, close, it’s yours. If not you’re going to be shining my shoes. Bunch of losers sitting around in a bar. (in a mocking weak voice) “Oh yeah, I used to be a salesman, it’s a tough racket.” (he takes out large stack of red index cards tied together with string from his briefcase) These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you, they’re gold. And you don’t get them. Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. (he hands the stack to Williamson) They’re for closers.
I’d wish you good luck but you wouldn’t know what to do with it if you got it. (to Moss as he puts on his watch again) And to answer your question, pal: why am I here? I came here because Mitch and Murray asked me to, they asked me for a favor. I said, the real favor, follow my advice and fire your fucking ass because a loser is a loser.
(He stares at Moss for a sec, and then picking up his briefcase, goes into inner office with Williamson)

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I took the plunge today and signed up for Vonage, talking with a customer service rep in the Philippines. Being a nursing student, I know all sorts of chicks. For those of you who get my new home phone number in the near future, it is just about as easy to remember as my old one. Now if only I could do something about my cell phone number, a complex mish-mash of a phone number if I’ve ever seen one (of the seven digits, only one number is used twice ).

I called SBC to cancel the January 11^th appointment as well as to make sure they forward my bill to my new address. They were pretty unconcerned. Either they think I am a monster asshole or they don’t give a rip about keeping customers. Probably the latter.

Vonage requires a phone adapter. Phone line –> adapter –> modem. I got next day shipping for this adapter. Any other time in the past ten or so years, I’d have my phone hooked up tomorrow. Unfortunately, UPS doesn’t deliver on Saturdays, Sunday is the official holiday, and Monday is the work holiday. So, I gotta wait until Tuesday.

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Considering my problems with SBC,  I received a suggestion of doing business with ATT CallVantage or Vonage. Their service plans seem almost too good to be true. Per minute long-distance rates are less than I paid with SBC, or unlimited, depending on the package. It is based off a high-speed Internet connection. With Vonage at least, I can keep my old phone number. In addition, some packages give me pretty much every “extra” perk (caller ID, call waiting).

Anyone out there know anyone that has one of these services? I barely found out that they even exist. Should I take the plunge? 

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A few months ago, a couple of brothers made a rap parody based on Bakersfield. It was all over the local news.

There has been a request for the link to the video. Here it is. Take a listen (and for the requester, literally - take a listen).

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Once upon a time, a little old lady owned a duplex that sat on a corner. She lived on one side for many years. The other side sat dormant for twenty five. She only wanted to rent out to those that would pay the monthly fee, as well as fix anything that needed to be fixed for free.

One day, the old lady died. Her duplex sat in probate for two years until her son eventually inherited it. He sold the property to Mama Sonicrusk.

So goes the story of my new place. Prior to me, the last renters lived here in 1980.

When I first saw the place, it was like entering a time machine. Newspapers, from the 1970’s and 80’s, Christmas cards postmarked from over three decades, boxes from defunct local department stores. The previous owner used it as a storage unit. I found 10-cent postage stamps in pristine condition, never used. The above Aladdin thermos was under the sink. The little old lady had retired from the forest service as a secretary. There were old Smokey the Bear posters in this place.

It took me a few days after moving in to discover that there was a medicine cabinet. It was set deeper into the wall than usual. Here is what it looked like inside:

Aside from that, the move went as expected. Stress, uncertainty, a little off my game, clutter. This new place is much bigger and has more character. It’s not just space to put stuff, but obviously has a vintage feel to it.

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Yet another crappy thing to be known for.

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I had an appointment with SBC today to have my telephone service installed in my new place. They gave me a horrendous time window – 8AM-6PM. During a previous appointment, the phone company had told me that they didn’t need me to be present. The new place has a locked gate. SBC had my cell phone number to reach me if need be. They apparently showed up for that first appointment, tried the gate, and booked out. They even cancelled the service to my old pad a day too soon. I had to schedule another appointment last Saturday.

But back to this present situation. I sat in my living room today for nine hours, waiting for the technician. By 5PM, I was getting worried. I called SBC’s phone tree and was lucky enough after a few minutes to get a live person named Danny.

Danny told me that there was a hold on my order. Because a technician must come out and “tie-down the interface” (whatever that means), the next available appointment for that type of thing is JANUARY 11^TH! I told him that twenty days without phone service is unacceptable. He called all of these various supervisors who stood firm with the date… holidays, winter-related business were the reasons. I wonder how much of it is spite because of that first missed appointment

At the end, he asked me if I still wanted to keep my appointment and service with SBC. I retorted, “What choice do I have? SBC is a monopoly when it comes to local service.” He said nothing.

Bunch of jerks. Reminds me of Sprint Barracks Phone Service in the army. An out-of-control monopoly.

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